Northstar Vale You were in the parking lot earlier; that's how I know you!

The small thing did not react very quickly. Thankfully for Lilitu another shape came along to briefly distract Hime, the second child barrelling in to her legs as they rushed and tumbled.

Imagine, if you will: minding your own business, perhaps at a family gathering? And then a toddler with food plastered across their face rather than in their mouth, with sticky fingers spidering in the air, comes bursting upon the scene and directly in to you. The look of repulsion on first contact. The stiffening of one's spine. An attempt to avoid the inevitable collision, then careful extraction around said child — all of this happened for Hime, except in the cramped arena of this old and interlocking forest. She quickly perched her nearest limb atop a knuckle of roots, sucking in a sharp breath through a clenched jaw.

The last thing Hime wanted was to draw attention to herself. She did not have time to inspect the den properly for signs of the mother, who was most likely slumbering inside and oblivious.

The girl who drew Hime's interest initially, gave a little hum of acquiescence, tilting her head towards her. The gangly cloud who so rudely intervened did the same. Both children fixated upon her with stupefied expressions. Hime took a breath and carefully returned to her proper posture, even going so far as to sit poised between them as if nothing was amiss.

She looked to Lilitu and commented sharply, Do you even know where you are right now? Low-born pretender.

And then to Hotaru, she turns and opens her mouth to say something snappy that would no doubt go right over her little head, but, Hime recognizes her sister's bone structure immediately. It is corrupted by the influence of paternal genetics, but there is enough raw material there to make even her icy heart clench with sudden fondness. Ah, but you must be the Princess.

The irritation melts from Hime's face. In its stead there is calm, a practiced nobility she often reserved for visitors to the clan-home. She dips herself lower so she is on Hotaru's level, and absolutely makes a point to ignore the other bumbling girl. What is your name?